Monthly Archives: October 2012

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Please join KLRU’s Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Rajiv Chandrasekaran

DATE: Monday, October 29
TIME: 5:15 p.m. (Doors open at 4:45 p.m.)
LOCATION: KLRU’s Studio 6A (map).
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP now

Author and journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran is the author of the bestselling and widely praised book Imperial Life in the Emerald City, an account of American reconstruction in Iraq. That book makes the most of Chandrasekaran’s time as Washington Post bureau chief in Baghdad in 2003 and 2004. He has a similar understanding of Afghanistan, which is the subject of his new book. Chandrasekaran covered events in that country for The Post from 2009 to 2001 and has just published Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan.

We hope you’ll be there as Overheard with Evan Smith continues a third season of great conversation with fascinating people, always on the news and always with a sense of humor. The show features in-depth interviews with a mix of guests from politics, the arts, literature, journalism, business, sports and more, and reaches PBS viewers from California to Florida. We’d love to see you in the studio for the interview, and for a chance to join the audience Q&A after the interview.

Nature “Magic of the Snowy Owl” at 7 pm
Nature explores the world of the snowy owl, a bird recently made popular by Hedwig, Harry Potter’s faithful companion. Turning fantasy into reality, “Magic of the Snowy Owl” takes an intimate look at how these majestic birds survive in one of the most isolated and inhospitable places on the planet. Noted wildlife filmmaker Fergus Beeley (“Jungle Eagle”) takes viewers deep into the “snowy’s” tundra home on the North Slope of Alaska to observe the daily struggles involved in raising a family of helpless chicks until they are able to fly. Viewers will discover that these strikingly beautiful Arctic owls – essentially eagles, falcons and owls rolled into one – have a magic of their own.

NOVA “Iceman Murder Mystery” at 8 pm
He’s been dead for more than 5,000 years. He’s been poked, prodded and probed by scientists for the last 20. And yet today, Otzi the Iceman, the famous mummified corpse pulled from a glacier in the Italian Alps nearly two decades ago, continues to keep many secrets. Now, through an autopsy like no other, scientists attempt to unravel more mysteries from this ancient mummy than ever before, revealing not only the details of Otzi’s death, but an entire way of life. How did people live during Otzi’s time, the Copper Age? What did we eat? What diseases did we cope with? The answers abound miraculously in this one man’s mummified remains.

NOVA ScienceNow “How Smart Can We Get?” at 9 pm
How do you get a genius brain? Is it all in your DNA? Or is it hard work? Is it possible that everyone’s brain has untapped genius – just waiting for the right circumstances so it can be unleashed? From a man who suddenly acquired an extraordinary musical gift after a freak head injury to a “memory athlete” who can remember strings of hundreds of random numbers, David Pogue meets people stretching the boundaries of what the human mind can do. Then, Pogue puts himself to the test: After high-res scanning, he finds out how the anatomy of his brain measures up against the greatest mind of the century – Albert Einstein.

Nature at 6 pm Sunday takes viewers into the secretive world of the largest and least known member of the weasel family to reveal who this dynamic little devil truly is in “Wolverine: Chasing The Phantom”.

Call The Midwife at 7 pm Sunday and 9 pm Saturday witnesses the snatching of a baby girl recently delivered by Jenny, causing great anguish to her family and uniting the local community as they search for the missing child.

On Masterpiece Classic Presents: Upstairs Downstairs, Series 2 at 8 pm Sunday, Blanche comes face-to-face with her former lover when a scandalous novel is published while Beryl’s decision to take a stand causes serious disruptions in the running of the house.

Cuban Missile Crisis: Three Men Go To War at 7 pm Tuesday tells the inside story of the Cuban Missile Crisis, exploring how in October 1962 the earth teetered on the very brink of nuclear holocaust.

Secrets of the Dead at 8 pm Tuesday follows the drama and debate that surrounded the most critical point in the Cold War in “The Man Who Saved The World.”

Nature at 7 pm Wednesday explores the world of the snowy owl and takes an intimate look at how these majestic birds survive in one of the most isolated and inhospitable places on the planet in “Magic of the Snowy Owl.”

Nova at 8 pm Wednesday attempts to unravel more mysteries from Otzi the Iceman than ever before, revealing not only the details of the ancient mummy’s death, but an entire way of life in “Iceman Murder Mystery.”

Nova ScienceNow at 9 pm Wednesday explores the lives of people stretching the boundaries of what the human mind can do in “How Smart Can We Get?”

Meet some of the innovators who’ve helped make Austin the nation’s third largest video game production community on Capital Innovation at 8 pm Thursday.

Chet goes on the “best little day trip in Texas” to paddle the Colorado River, explore Texas Czech culture, eat at a 100 year old BBQ joint, and enjoy some kolaches from Hruska’s on The Daytripper at 8:30 pm

Add some punch with standout perennials that stand up to weather swings on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday. On tour, see how a gardener sliced out lawn for perennials that thrive in watering restrictions.

American rock n’ roll dominates the stage with Dr. Dog followed by The Shins’ indie pop eloquence on Austin City Limits at 7 pm Saturday.

The next edition of KLRU’s Lone Star Emmy nominated show, SXSW Flashback, is debuting this month. Like its predecessors, SXSW Flashback 2012 takes viewers back to March for one hour of SXSW excitement, once again featuring a wide variety of interviews ranging from the already-made-its to the up-and-comers of the entertainment world. Highlights for 2012 include Channing Tatum, Willem Dafoe, Kimbra, Matthew McConaughey, Lance Gross, Jack Black, Jonah Hill, and many more, discussing their latest movies and music as well as their experiences here visiting Central Texas and SXSW.

SWSW Flashback will air on KLRU on Tuesday, October 23rd, at 10:30 p.m.

Jerome Schoolar, co-creator and producer of the Emmy Award winning PBS show “The Biscuit Brothers”, is calling on fans to support the building of a new Fine Arts Farm in South Austin that will be designed to provide music and arts education to the entire community. The proposed facility will include concert and theatre space as well as multiple classrooms, a themed outdoor area, and plenty of Magical Musical Farm décor. Support the project online now

“I want to create a space where we can entertain and educate kids and families of all ages in all sorts of ways,” said Schoolar, who plays Dusty on the show and has served as a City of Austin Fine Arts Coordinator for Children. “The vision includes regular classes, special concerts, theatrical guests, and more, with much of it low-cost or even free to Title 1 AISD schools and other at-risk members of our community.”

The Biscuit Brothers have a long history of providing inexpensive or free shows to the public – often benefitting other local organizations – and hope the new building near Slaughter Lane and I-35 will help sustain those as well as the TV show which is given to PBS for free.

$50,000 is needed to secure the property and begin upgrades. Schoolar says he hopes to raise at least $25,000 online and another $25,000 from corporate sponsors.

“We’ve got some amazing rewards for our supporters, including free classes and invitations to participate in the permanent decorations of the building. For our top donors or corporate sponsors, we’re offering chances to name classrooms and more. And for everyone, we’re offering the chance to help build a facility that has the potential to make a lasting impact across our entire community.”

Schoolar points to multiple studies on both the national and local scale that highlight the importance of Fine Arts training in education. “There’s ample evidence showing that children who are actively involved in Fine Arts Education are smarter, healthier, and happier, and that exposure needs to begin as early as possible with reliable consistency. The Biscuit Brothers have always been about fostering musical education for young kids, and now we want to broaden that to a fully artistic and really fun Fine Arts Farm.”

PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! will celebrate Halloween with multiple themed episodes October 29-31, 2012. A premiere WILD KRATTS episode about spiders is among the highlights, with themed episodes from ARTHUR, THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!, SUPER WHY!, DINOSAUR TRAIN, SID THE SCIENCE KID and more.

WILD KRATTS will have new episodes this week, followed by four more premieres during “Weird Kratts Week,” October 22-26, and a new spidery Halloween episode on October 31, at 4 p.m., Monday-Friday.

October 16, 2012 – #202 “Race for the Hippo Disc”When Chris and Martin accidentally lose a Power Disc on the African savannah, the Wild Kratts go into crisis mode to find the disc before it gets into the hands of Zach Varmitech. Science Concept: Territoriality.

October 17, 2012 – #203 “Creature Power Challenge”After getting caught in the middle of a tussle between a grumpy rhino and an outraged elephant, Martin and Chris decide to have a contest to decide what are stronger – elephant or rhino powers. Science Concept: Animals have adaptations for where and how they live.

October 18, 2012 – #204 “Termites vs. Tongues”
When Aviva and Koki accidentally miniaturize themselves and get carried away by termites, Martin and Chris must split up to search for them. Science Concept:Predator/prey relationship.

October 22, 2012- #129 “Seasquatch”
The Kratt brothers’ sub loses power while they are exploring the strange landscape of the ocean depths and they are trapped on the ocean floor. Aviva must figure out how to harness the energy from the deep sea’s hydrothermal vents in order to save the brothers and return them to the surface. The WILD KRATTS team learns all about the amazing process of chemosynthesis and how deep sea creatures transform toxic chemicals into energy. With a little help from the Yeti crab, Martin and Chris are able to capture the this energy and use it to restart the amphi-sub and return to the surface.Science Concepts: Chemosynthesis; how special deep sea creatures transform such toxic chemicals into energy.
October 23, 2012 – #133 “Gecko Effect”
There’s a mystery to be solved, as the WILD KRATTS team wonders how a Gecko lizard climbs up smooth surfaces and can even climb upside down. The gang uses the Miniaturizer to shrink and discover it’s all about physics. But in the meantime, Zach has stolen their Miniaturizer and now imprisons them in a glass terrarium. Martin and Chris activate the new Gecko Powers of their Creature Power Suits and must retrieve the Miniaturizer before Zach shrinks all the animals in the creature world. Science Concept: Physics – Objects have electrical charges that attract one another. The gecko’s toe pad structure enhances these charges so much that they can “stick to” smooth surfaces.

October 24, 2012 – #139 “Googly Eye”
The Kratt brothers secretly “borrow” Aviva’s half-finished night vision goggles to go in search of a mysterious nocturnal creature. But when the unstable goggles stop working, the brothers find themselves taken in by the nocturnal society of the tarsier. Then, when the tarsier troop is in danger of losing one of their own, Chris and Martin must tap into their newfound understanding of nocturnal living and help the troubled tarsier family. Science Concept: Nocturnal-vision creatures are creatures that come out at night. Eyes help a creature see by collecting the light that comes from objects all around. They have a feature called an iris that opens or closes the pupil to let more or less light in.
October 25, 2012 – #135 “Quillber”
It’s Aviva’s birthday, and Chris and Martin decide to collect shed porcupine quills to make a beautiful necklace as a gift. As they tag along with an African crested porcupine, they discover that animals have different ways to defend themselves from predators, one of which comes in handy to protect the porcupines from Zach’s latest animal collection scheme. Science Concept: Defense strategies; animals have different ways to defend themselves from predators. Some animals, like porcupines, have highly specialized features designed to ward off predators. Porcupine quills are modified hairs, designed by nature into a deadly defense.

October 31, 2012 – #208 “Spiders”
When the creature adventuring Kratt Brothers take a nasty tumble, the WILD KRATTS team sets off on a mission to find and recreate one of the greatest of all biotech engineering secrets: spider silk. Science Concept: Biotechnology – Humans can develop new objects by taking cues from nature.

WILD KRATTS also just launched Creaturepedia, an online animal encyclopedia that includes information on each animal’s creature powers, diet, geographic location and more, as well as video content, available on PBSKIDS.org/wildkratts.

Celebrate Arts In Context with a season three kick-off party. The new season of the award-winning arts show begins on Oct. 25th with a documentary on Austin’s Mother Falcon. KLRU is hosting a party to celebrate the event!

Arts In Context season three explores the process of creation through collaboration and the condition of living and working as an artist. By spotlighting visual arts, dance, music and culture, we hope to pique curiosity and inspire people to learn more about a subject, visit an exhibition, attend a performance or create and share something beautiful of their own and facilitate the dialogue between artists and audiences. Episodes air Thursdays at 7:30 pm on KLRU and are available everywhere on the PBS iPhone app and iPad app.

The new season begins airing on Oct. 25th with a documentary on the inspiring story of one of Austin’s beloved bands, Mother Falcon. Featuring performances and in-depth interviews, Arts in Context takes you inside the 21-member band’s journey from aspiring, high school musicians to the popular band they have become today, and the challenges they now face trying to break onto the national stage. Watch a preview of the Mother Falcon episode on klru.org/artsincontext.

On Nature at 6 pm Sunday, Chris Morgan takes on his greatest challenge in tracking large predators – to find and film the Siberian tiger living wild and free in Russia’s far eastern forests – in “Siberian Tiger Quest”.

Call The Midwife at 7 pm Sunday and 9 pm Saturday places Jenny on the district nursing roster for a few weeks, through which she forms a friendship with a gentle old soldier.

On Masterpiece Classic Presents: Upstairs Downstairs, Series 2 at 8 pm Sunday, Lady Agnes catches the eye of charismatic American millionaire Caspar Landry while Mrs. Thackeray makes a momentous decision that throws the running of 165 into chaos.

Standing Bear’s Footsteps at 9 pm Monday is the story of an Indian chief who went to court to prove he was a person… and in the process redefined what it means to be an American.

With a frank, behind-the-scenes approach, Race 2012 at 7 pm Tuesday navigates the high-stakes world of racial pollsters, strategists, spin doctors and candidates as they compete for voters of many ethnic and racial groups.

Nature at 7 pm Wednesday takes viewers into the secretive world of the largest and least known member of the weasel family to reveal who this dynamic little devil truly is in “Wolverine: Chasing The Phantom”.

NOVA at 8 pm Wednesday investigates how modern forensics, including the analysis of fingerprints, bite marks, ballistics, hair, and tool marks, can send innocent men and women to prison and sometimes even to death row in “Forensics on Trial”.

On NOVA ScienceNow at 9 pm Wednesday, Chris Pogue gives the third degree to scientists pushing the limits of technology — not only to solve horrific murders — but also to try to prevent crimes before they even happen in “Can Science Solve Crime?”

Diane Ravitch, one of the country’s leading thinkers about education. talks on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 pm Thursday.

Chet heads to the “cowboy capital of the world”, visits Dublin Bottling Works, sees some barrel racing at Lone Star Arena, and polishes it off with chicken fried steak on The Daytripper at 8:30 pm Thursday.

POV at 9 pm Thursday presents “Sun Kissed”, the story of Dorey and Yolanda Nez as they confront cultural taboos, tribal history and their own unconventional choices to learn the shocking truth: the consequences of the Navajos’ Long Walk — their forced relocation by the U.S. military in 1864 –are far from over.

The Texas Debates: Race for U.S. Senate at 7 pm Friday features the Republican and Democratic nominees for U.S. Senate, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz (R) and former state Rep. Paul Sadler (D). Because of the Texas Senate Debate, Washington Week will air at 8 pm and Moyers and Co will air at 9 pm.

Voces on PBS at 9:30 pm Friday presents “Lemon”, the story of one man’s journey to bring his life story to the New York stage while battling his darkest demons.

Pick up creative ideas for design and plants on this preview of Austin’s Garden Conservancy tour on Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday.

Nature “Wolverine: Chasing The Phantom” at 7 pm
Its name stirs images of the savage, the untameable. Legend paints it as a solitary, bloodthirsty killer that roams the icy heart of the frozen north, taking down prey as large as moose, crushing bones to powder with its powerful jaws. But there is another image of the wolverine that is just beginning to emerge, one that is far more complex than its reputation suggests. This film takes viewers into the secretive world of the largest and least known member of the weasel family to reveal who this dynamic little devil truly is. Hard-wired to endure en environment of scarcity, the wolverine is one of the most efficient and resourceful carnivores on Earth.

NOVA “Forensics on Trial” at 8 pm
There is a startling gap between the glamorous television world of “CSI” and the gritty reality of the forensic crime lab. With few established scientific standards, no central oversight and poor regulation of examiners, forensics in the U.S. is in a state of crisis. In “Forensics on Trial,” NOVA investigates how modern forensics, including the analysis of fingerprints, bite marks, ballistics, hair, and tool marks, can send innocent men and women to prison — and sometimes even to death row. Shockingly, of more than 250 inmates exonerated by DNA testing over the last decade, more than 50% of the wrongful convictions stemmed from invalid or improperly handled forensic science. With the help of vivid recreations of actual trials and cases, NOVA investigated today’s shaky state of crime science as well as cutting-edge solutions that could help investigators put the real criminals behind bars.

NOVA ScienceNow “Can Science Stop Crime?” at 9 pm
Pogue gives the third degree to scientists pushing the limits of technology — not only to solve horrific murders — but also to try to prevent crimes before they even happen. He learns the latest techniques, from unraveling the clues embedded in a decomposing corpse, to detecting lies by peering directly into a suspect’s brain, to tracking the creation of a criminal mind. And we meet a genius crime-stopper who’s made some terrifying discoveries, including how easy it is for a bad guy to highjack — not just your laptop — but your kids’ toys, medical devices and even your car.